Gov. Asa Hutchinson has officially called for a special session for the 90th General Assembly to start next Tuesday.
Hutchinson announced May 11 that the session, which starts next Tuesday and could last less than a week, would be aimed at creating incentives to lure a defense contract to the state.
The governor aims at strengthening a bid from Lockheed Martin, which has a facility in Camden, to win a contract with the Department of Defense to build the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette previously reported.
Hutchinson announced the rest of the agenda for the special session on Wednesday in a news release. He will ask legislators to consider combining several agencies to "provide efficiencies, betters services and savings." Those mergers include combining the Arkansas Department of Rural Services and the the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission; the Arkansas Building Authority with the Department of Finance and Administration; and the Division of Land Survey with the Arkansas Geographic Information Office.
Other items on the agenda include:
• A minor fix in a driving while intoxicated law to make sure there is a continuation of federal highway funds.
• Align state laws with potential federal law changes regarding farm-equipment traffic on a new section of interstate highway.
• Correct technical errors made to bills when amendments were engrossed.
• Move Arkansas primary elections from May to March.
• Move the Arkansas Legislature's fiscal session from February to April.
• Honor Johnson County Deputy Sheriff Sonny Smith.
• Confirm the governor's appointments.
Hutchinson said the special session would start next Tuesday, and he expected the session's work could be finished in less than a week.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.